1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to storage containers for recorded media and, more particularly, to a storage container having a centrally disposed retaining hub for engaging and selectively retaining an item of recorded media. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a storage container for recorded media employing a retaining hub that releasably secures an item of recorded media such as a DVD while substantially protecting the stored item from bending stresses created during loading, storage, and removal of the item from the storage container.
2. Background Information
Compact discs have become immensely popular in the past 15 years and have supplanted records and tapes as the dominant form of recorded music. Over this time, numerous storage containers have been developed to hold the discs during shipping, display for sale, and subsequent home storage of the discs. Most of these storage containers utilize some type of center hub that engages the center hole of the disc to hold the disc in place in the storage container.
In the recent past, digital versatile discs (DVDs) have been developed that hold more data than a compact disc. Given their large storage capacity, DVDs may be used to hold feature length films as well as music. It is also contemplated that the DVDs may be used to hold data in a computer readable form. One problem with the DVD is that it currently trades durability for its increased storage space. It has been found that a DVD may be damaged by the forces that are commonly used to remove compact discs from their storage containers, to hold the compact discs in the storage containers, and to store the compact discs in the containers. Thus, a potential problem has been created in that it is believed that the vast number of consumers will treat a DVD like a CD because of the similarities in the products and will damage the DVD by doing things that do not harm a CD. It is thus desired in the art to provide a DVD storage container that prevents a consumer from damaging a DVD by improperly removing a DVD from the container.
One of the chief areas of concern with a DVD storage container is the bending forces created in the DVD by the container or removal of the DVD from the container. Although compact discs are relatively insensitive to bending stresses, DVDs are sensitive to such bending forces and may lose information or become unusable because of such bending forces. Bending forces may occur during removal of the DVD from the storage container, loading the DVD into the storage container, or storage of the DVD in the container. The industry has thus moved in a direction that requires DVD storage containers to securely retain a DVD during a drop test without creating a constant bending force on the DVD during storage or allowing a bending force to be placed on the DVD during installation or removal of the DVD from the storage container.
Although a DVD is approximately the same size, weight, and dimensions as a compact disc, the storage containers used for compact discs are generally unsuitable for providing a DVD storage container that eliminates bending forces. Most CD storage containers are unsuitable for DVDs because they include center hubs that radially and resiliently engage the center hole of a compact disc to retain the compact disc in the storage container. It has been recently determined that such radial engagement creates a constant force on a DVD that eventually warps the DVD rendering it imperfect or unuseable. Other compact disc storage containers allow a person to grasp the outer edge of a compact disc and pull upwardly causing the disc to disengage the center hub. This action creates a significant amount of bending force in the body of the compact disc. As compact discs are less sensitive to such bending force, this action does not substantially harm a compact disc while it may break a DVD or otherwise render it unuseable.
One device that holds a CD in a manner that reduces the large bending forces experienced by the CD during removal of the CD from the storage container is disclosed in German reference DE 3425579. This device retains the CD with a central hub having a lip. A plurality of spring members are disposed about the central hub and are configured to resiliently engage the bottom surface of the CD when it is stored in the container. The CD is thus trapped between the spring members and the lip during storage. The CD is released by depressing the center button which collapses into the center hole of the CD. Once the lip of the hub is moved inwardly, the spring members pop the CD up to a position where it may be removed from the storage container.
Unfortunately, the spring members create a constant force on the bottom of the CD which creates a small constant bending force in the CD. Although this force is not large enough to damage a CD over time, it is large enough to slightly warp a DVD when the DVD is stored over long periods of time. This slight warp may render the DVD unusable.
Other embodiments of a storage device disclosed in the German patent utilize lever arms that lift the CD or DVD off of the retaining hub when the center button is depressed. Although these lifting arms are effective for lifting the CD or DVD off of the hub, the center hub does not release the item of recorded media without creating bending forces. These embodiments are also more difficult to manufacture than embodiments without lifting arms.
Another device that may be used to hold an item of recorded media such as a compact disc is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,427. The device in this patent allows a compact disc to be removed from the storage container through the engagement of a ridge with the inner wall that forms the central opening of the CD. In the storage position, the ridge rests on the top surface of the CD. When a person removes the CD from the container, the ridge is forced along the inner wall creating a bending force in the CD. The specification describes that the force is significant enough that there is a slight clicking action as the ridge passes below the lower surface of the disc and grasps the disc. This device also captures the interior wall of the central opening in the CD while the CD is being removed from the holder. Such capturing creates an undesirable radially outward bending force in the CD or DVD while it is being removed from the holder.
In view of the damage created by the slight bending forces, the DVD industry has moved in the direction of requiring DVD storage containers to hold the DVDs without imparting any bending forces on the DVD. One manner of indicating that no bending forces are imparted on the DVD is by allowing the DVD to freely rotate while in the storage position. The devices described above do not allow the CD or DVD to freely rotate because the devices retain the CD or DVD with constant forces.
It is thus desirable to provide a storage container for recorded media such as a DVD that securely retains the item of recorded media in the storage container while not subjecting the item to significant bending stresses that can damage the item.